


Young and beautiful

by MystikSpiral



Category: Avengers (Comics)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Established Relationship, M/M, Tony Stark Feels, Tony is old
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-31
Updated: 2014-03-31
Packaged: 2018-01-17 16:45:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,262
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1394914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MystikSpiral/pseuds/MystikSpiral
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Their interest in each other piqued because they had been fighting side by side, and now what was he? </p><p>Wrinkled skin, and though his physique wasn't terrible, it was nothing like it used to be. He had the same demons hiding under the blanket of a hero, and his aching soul.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Young and beautiful

**Author's Note:**

> I've seen art based off of Lana del Rey's song 'Young and Beautiful' so here have some sads. Beta'd by the spectacular Morphia-writes! Hope ya enjoy!

Things were a lot quieter around Stark Tower. These days, what had once been a whole team was no more. Their days of getting into those seemingly ridiculous adventures were long gone. They’d gotten older. Some had families, and others just left to finally get the peace they’d been craving for. Tony celebrated his 70th birthday a couple of days ago; it was a huge deal to everyone that still associated with the genius, and for the public.

However, as the years went by, Tony found that his confidence peeked around twenty years back. Albeit, his wit and lack of a filter seemed to have sharpened over those years, and really, it just came with the wisdom. Even still, every year to Tony was a reminder of the man he used to be.

He knew the day would come when he had to give up the title of Iron Man. He physically just couldn’t, even though he damn well pushed himself beyond the years he should have. Steve always told him to take it easy, and that left the brunet bitter. The man had barely aged since they’d first met; he still carried on the role of Captain America, the part of his identity that made him who he was.

That was the problem, Tony was Iron Man, _was._

Tony dreaded the day when he couldn’t say those words - he didn’t go to his workshop as much anymore, either. Years of pushing himself excessively began to catch up; his body ached if he stood for too long. It came to a point where Tony didn’t see a point of even trekking down to his workshop. It only hurt when he mournfully casted looks over old memories.

Being married to Steve didn’t help; the man would come home drenched in sweat from crime fighting and brush it off like it was all in a day’s work. And it was, but it used to be the both of them doing so. Their interest in each other piqued because they had been fighting side by side, and now what was he?

Wrinkled skin, and though his physique wasn't terrible, it was nothing like it used to be. He had the same demons hiding under the blanket of a hero, and his aching soul.

“Want to go out for dinner?” Asked Steve, towel placed over his shoulders. After years the blond kept the routine of morning jog, then pounding the punching bag into oblivion.

Tony, on the other hand, was going through paper work. It’s all he seemingly did now days.

“Sure.”  He replied in short.

If he were being honest, he wasn’t really up for going out, or doing much of anything. A total contrast from him in his younger days. Back then, he always had an itch to take Steve out somewhere, anywhere, wanting to explore new things or even the same routines.

And now…

“Anything you want to talk about?” Steve wasn’t stupid. He knew Tony better than he knew himself.

Every year after celebrating the billionaire’s birthday he got this way. Steve knew why, they’d never discussed it but he knew. It was heart breaking to see the man he loved so out of it, hiding behind fake smiles and clever comebacks. Just like it was before they’d gotten together.

Steve always told Tony that his eyes were a gateway to his pain, and from that point on Tony avoided eye contact when he was hurting.

“Why do you love me?”

The question sort of caught Steve by surprise, especially since Tony actually looked at him, directly at him with a gaze that read vulnerable. He’d asked this question before, the day before they got married.

The genius had been panicking that entire week, and when the question finally came out, Steve poured as much honesty as he could into the speech he gave. Because he knew Tony was genuinely lost as to why he felt the way he did, which was ridiculous, but he understood it. Sometimes, Steve wondered the same.

This time was different.

Tony’s voice leaked a sort of pain that Steve had never heard before. As if he was exposing a wound he’d wanted to show the blond, and never felt as if he could until now.

Steve knew why he loved Tony; he could make a damn list but is that really what Tony wanted to hear?

“Why do you think I love you?”

A brief pause, then the brunet cleared his throat.

“I knew why you did. I believed all the reasons you told me a while back. Steve, I’m not the same man I used to be, matter of fact I’m just a man now. Don’t you get tired of knowing I’m in pain? Don’t you get sick of dealing with what I’m not anymore? You got so many options and you sit here with me, so many fucking things have changed. I’m not in my workshop, I haven’t been in years, I’m not as active, you have to fucking take care of me and I’m not even—“

Tony’s voice cracked, tears brimming his eyes and burning.

“I’m no longer Iron Man. I’m old, I feel old, I look old and I hate who I am now, because I’m no one.”

Steve sat down on the couch across from him, keeping a steady gaze. He didn’t make motions to walk over and comfort him; he knew it was deeper than a reminder.

“I’d never really fallen in love before. After losing Peggy I’d convinced myself that love wasn’t for me, that it was just a concept that looked nice but something I couldn’t really understand. I was in so much pain after the ice, after seeing Bucky again, after it all I was so broken. And I hid behind the stars and striped uniform, a country I protect for reasons I still don’t know.”

The blond inched closer.

“Then I met you, and god I swore that I’d never met a man so sickeningly charming and so broken at the same time. We worked together, we fought together, we fought each other. Most of all we went through our demons, together, and we knew being together wouldn’t help it magically go away, but it helped ease the pain.  And over time I found myself healing, things got easier. I’d never felt so at home with anyone the way I did with you, even before the ice.”

Tony was now looking in his direction, face contorting in the most emotion Steve had seen from him in years.

“But it’s more than that, it’s so much more than that. Tony, you are everything to me. You keep me grounded, you challenge me, you’re my best friend.  Sure things have changed, but you are still the same man I fell in love with, and as the years go by I find myself reveling in the fact that you’re just so…amazing. I respect and look up to you, and it hurts when you ask questions like this, as if I’d ever stop loving you.”

Steve wouldn’t, even when the brunet was long gone. He could never love anyone else, not like how he does Tony.

Tony leaned over, embracing Steve, and the super soldier could feel tears against the crook of his neck. To Steve it felt nice; he’d finally gotten through to Tony, maybe this time he’d believe him.  

The brunet pulled away, kissing over his lips softly.

“You were always good at giving speeches.”

A sharp laugh left Steve, “You were always good at ruining moments.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
